Hubble provides a gentle start to the week.
Which is just as well, given the slightly befuddled state of my Twixmas brain. Nothing too taxing here, but some very pleasing clues that made for a satisfying solve. My personal likes: Man Ray’s bottom-scratching, NEONATAL for the disguised definition, Rome’s Prosecco fountain, Ra’s funky bow and the poor priest being assaulted for his large doughnuts. Many thanks to Hubble for the fun, and a happy 2026 to all 225-ers.
Moh’s scarcely credible cruciverbial hardness scale rating: Talc
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | INCAPABLE |
Oddly sign urgent message about secretary being drunk (9)
|
| [s]I[g]N (alternate letters of sign) + CABLE around PA | ||
| 6 | COCKS |
Gets ready to fire sailor verbally (5)
|
| Soundalike (verbally) of ‘cox’ | ||
| 9 | MANTRAS |
Repeated prayers of model captured by a photographer scratching backside at shrine’s opening (7)
|
| MAN RA[y] (US artist and photographer) minus the last letter (scratching backside) around T (model captured) + S (shrine’s opening) | ||
| 10 | DISEASE |
Pass over vast areas creating disorder (7)
|
| DIE (pass) around (over) SEAS (vast areas) | ||
| 11 | TOURNAMENT |
Our fellow recalled entering temporary residence’s contest (10)
|
| OUR + reversal of MAN (our fellow recalled) inside (entering) TENT | ||
| 12 | EPIC |
Huge electronic image (4)
|
| E–PIC for electronic image | ||
| 14 | SIERRA |
Range collapsing is rare (6)
|
| Anagram (collapsing) of IS RARE | ||
| 15 | NEONATAL |
Dealing with newly delivered type of light at ends of sea wall (8)
|
| NEON (type of light) + AT (from surface) + A L (last letters of sea wall) | ||
| 18 | RESEARCH |
During which readers learn periodically about investigation (8)
|
| 19 | PEORIA |
In Illinois metropolis get wind back after gym workout’s over (6)
|
| Reversal (back) of AIR (wind) after PE (gym workout) + O (over, in cricket) | ||
| 21 | IFFY |
Dodgy condition, flimsy on the outside (4)
|
| IF (condition, as in ‘no ifs, no buts’) + F[lims]Y | ||
| 23 | OBSERVANCE |
Ceremony where tailored robes placed before vice-president (10)
|
| Anagram (tailored) of ROBES + VANCE (US vice-president JD) | ||
| 26 | BROTHER |
Relative getting Republican into trouble (7)
|
| R (republican) inside BOTHER | ||
| 27 | TREVISO |
Roman fountain therefore could be source of Prosecco (7)
|
| TREVI (the Trevi Fountain in Rome) + SO (therefore). The province of Treviso is one of the areas in the Veneto region of Italy known for producing Prosecco | ||
| 28 | WORKS |
500 replaced by 1,000 in accounts functions (5)
|
| WOR[d]S (accounts) with the D (500) replaced by K (1,000) | ||
| 29 | SANDSTONE |
Rock SS Resonance? (9)
|
| S AND S (SS) + TONE (resonance) | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | INMATES |
Suggests cancelling half of time for prisoners (7)
|
| IN[ti[MATES (suggests) minus TI (half of time) | ||
| 2 | CONSUMERS |
Filleted main courses cooked for patrons (9)
|
| Anagram (cooked) of M[ai]N (filleted main) COURSES | ||
| 3 | PARANORMAL |
Weird father organised topless model attending ball every now and then (10)
|
| PA + RAN (organised) + [f]ORM (topless model) + alternate letters of [b]A[l]L (ball every now and then) | ||
| 4 | BOSOM |
With funds finally invested, boom or bust (5)
|
| Insertion (invested) of S (funds finally) in BOOM | ||
| 5 | ENDANGER |
Risk adding nitrogen to exploding grenade (8)
|
| N (nitrogen) inside anagram (exploding) of GRENADE | ||
| 6 | CASE |
Taking part in Monica Seles’s action (4)
|
| Hidden (taking part in) in moniCA SEles’s | ||
| 7 | CLASP |
Hook applauds pair at the bottom exchanging places (5)
|
| CLAPS (applauds) with a reversal of the last two letters (pair at the bottom, in a down clue) | ||
| 8 | STENCIL |
Catches up with Cilla leaving Los Angeles with drawing aid (7)
|
| Reversal (up, in a down clue) of NETS + CIL[la] (minus, or leaving, LA) | ||
| 13 | INTERVIEWS |
Media chats when Bury compete with Stoke initially (10)
|
| INTER (bury) + VIE (compete) + W (with) + S (Stoke initially) | ||
| 16 | TARANTINO |
Director‘s pitch supported by excited nation (9)
|
| TAR (pitch) above (supported by, in a down clue) an anagram (excited) of NATION | ||
| 17 | ICEBERGS |
Shipping hazards kill barnacles, eiders, razorbills, gannets and seagulls in the beginning (8)
|
| ICE (kill) + initial letters (in the beginning) of Barnacles Eiders Razorbills Gannets Seagulls | ||
| 18 | RAINBOW |
Multi-coloured sun god’s funky weapon (7)
|
| RA (the ancient Egyptian sun god) + IN (funky) + BOW | ||
| 20 | AWESOME |
Astonishing disappointment expressed over phone company ringing unspecified number endlessly (7)
|
| AW (expression of disappointment) over EE (mobile phone company) around SOM[e] (unspecified number endlessly) | ||
| 22 | FLOOR |
Knock down priest carrying large doughnuts (5)
|
| FR (father, hence priest) around (carrying) L OO (large doughnuts) | ||
| 24 | ELTON |
John for one is a long time impressing army officer (5)
|
| EON (a long time) around (impressing) LT (lieutenant, army officer) | ||
| 25 | THUS |
Like this article on America expelling Eritrean leader (4)
|
| TH[e] (definite article, minus E – expelling Eritrean leader) + US |
A Hubble without Toil or Trouble, until 19(ac), PEORIA, which stinks.
Why spoil such a well-compiled puzzle with it?
If you’re up the creek without a paddle, KERRIA is a nice answer and offers better wordplays.
A lot of clues were flat-pack instructions, but very nicely worded and fun to solve.
So, thumbs up, to Hubble & MOH
Very aptly summarized by moh. I agree with everything he said. I can’t see anything wrong with PEORIA, but I don’t tend to be as stern a critic as E,N.Bolls&.
Petert @2
I think we tend to agree, most times, but let’s be honest.
PEORIA.
Nothing wrong, apart from it being a pot of crap.
Others may find it brilliant clue.
The best thing to be said for 19a is it reminded me of Douglas Adams’ “The Meaning of Liff.”
PEORIA (n.) The fear of peeling too few potatoes.
Thanks both. Comparatively easy in the main, though I laboured over AWESOME having not yet solved the unknown PEORIA which has I read a similar population to Bolton. Wasn’t entirely at ease initially with INCAPABLE wherein ‘oddly sign’ invites us to enter the even-numbered letters.
I think Peoria is best known for the expression “Will it play in Peoria?” (at least, that’s how I knew it) meaning will it appeal to mainstream America. The people of Peoria are a sort of American equivalent of the man on the Clapham omnibus.
PEORIA is best known to me as the long-term headquarters of Caterpillar. Until nearly a decade ago when they shifted to Texas.
According to wiki, anything with a population above 50,000 may be considered a metropolis in the US. Didn’t know that, and was trying to squeeze Chicago in somehow 🙂 Enjoyed TREVISO, NEONATAL and STENCIL. Thanks Hubble and moh!
Nice workout. Thanks Hubble and MOH. I think 18a is actually a reversal:
[w]h[i]c[h] r[e]a[d]e[r]s [l]e[a]r[n]. Happy New Year all!
Well spotted Coloradan. I missed that, I’m ashamed to say.
Like TFO, I don’t care for ‘oddly’ to refer to the even letters. Not wrong as such but you’re never 100% sure the setter didn’t make a gaffe so best avoided I think.
**** me, Coloradan, you’re absolutely right. That’s a great spot. And it means I’ve got the wordplay and the definition mixed up. Thank you very much, will amend the blog now.
For a Chicagoan, it’s a laugh to see PEORIA described as a metropolis. (Yes, the Census Bureau has a Peoria Metropolitan Statistical Area, but they have that designation for (as noted above) many cities that no one would call metropolises. The MSA is usually the city, its county, plus any surrounding counties that are economically tied to the city in question. Peoria MSA has a population of 400,000; the city proper is only 113,000. For comparison, Chicago MSA is 9.6 million.)
And yes, “how will it play in Peoria” is most people’s point of reference for it.
I did try to post earlier, something went wrong, missed your debut earlier Hubble so welcome. Very gentle, very welcome after a busy day at the pub. Thanks MOH, personal MOH scale talcum, very soft.
Nice puzzle. Was annoyed to be beaten by PEORIA (NHO), which I also feel was a depressingly obscure word to find in an otherwise accessible puzzle.
Hats off for the clue to RESEARCH, the beauty of which I’m sorry to say had gone over my head too, and it was good to see it being recognised by Coloradan@9 and applauded here.